‘ IT’S POSITIVE RIGHT NOW’ Paxson likes culture of team, confifident Bulls can win back fans’ trust
The Bulls’ record will be inconsequential this season.
It won’t cost general manager Gar Forman his job, and it likely won’t put coach Fred Hoiberg on the hot seat.
Welcome to the first season of the Bulls’ rebuild, where the status quo will remain the status quo.
‘‘ The wins and losses are going to take care of themselves,’’ vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said. ‘‘ We’re not focused on that. We understand better than anyone what we’re about to embark on. And that’s why I keep saying the most important thing for us is the culture we have in this building. It’s very hard to define sometimes, but you know it when you see it’s positive. And it’s positive right now.’’
It’s not the first time in the last five years we’ve heard positivity coming out of the United Center.
The Bulls’ front office was positive Derrick Rose would return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and kept a roster built around his skills for way too long.
They were positive Tom Thibodeau wasn’t the right coach for the team.
They were positive the trio of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo would work last season.
Now they are positive another direction will work.
Paxson was asked about the failures, especially the concerns of a Bulls fan base whose collective voice seems to be ignored.
Asked how the Bulls can restore some good faith with the fans, Paxson said: ‘‘ I don’t know. What I will tell you is this: I can sit here and talk about our past record and making the playoffs. We’re in a position now where we have supportive ownership, we’ve defined our direction and we’re looking forward. That’s all Gar and I can do every day.
‘‘ Gar and I acknowledge this all the time, that [ chairman] Jerry and [ president] Michael [ Reinsdorf ] are great people to work for. I do think we can win our fans’ trust back by showing them we can put a group of young players out there who care and show them there’s promise ahead.’’
Paxson acknowledged rookie center Lauri Markkanen, secondyear guard Kris Dunn and fourthyear guard Zach LaVine are the foundation pieces for the rebuild. As they go, the rebuild goes.
‘‘ It starts with Zach, Kris and Lauri,’’ Paxson said. ‘‘ Those are the three big elements to this rebuild. We’ve done it once before. We did it when I first got the job in 2003. I have great confidence we can do it again.’’
That’s why Paxson only will glance at the standings, especially when there are bigger things for the Bulls to evaluate.
‘‘ I’ve been around a long time,’’ Paxson said. ‘‘ Being a young basketball team, it’s hard to win in the NBA at a high level; it is. That doesn’t mean you can’t put a team out there that plays the game the right way, works hard, believes in each other.
‘‘ That’s what this sport is about, man. That’s our expectation. If we do that, then I think our future is really bright, and I have no reason to believe that we won’t play that way.’’
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